It's Blog Carnival time with my Etsy Metalhead friends. This months' topic is "Back To School" and talking about new techniques I have learned lately.

I love going to silversmith classes. They are really fun and informative and sometimes it is just great to get away. More often or not, I don't use the info I've learned unless I get at it right away. Now that summer is over, I have some time to leave the island and think about doing other things. I've already planned some classes to take next month. One is the art of Keum-Boo. This is the application of fusing 24K gold leaf onto fine silver.

I have taken a class in this before about 4 years ago, but didn't follow thru. Maybe I will this time !

By the way, I didn't make those earrings, I took the picture from the internet as an example. I don't know who the artist is.

The next class I have signed up for is "Tension Set Rings". Once again, I have already done this, but need a little kickstart to try it in my own studio. A tension set ring is where the stone is supported within the silver band by tension, not with a setting.

Check out this link, her work is fantastic. Here is a picture of the pendant I made for my daughter.

This is a rendering of a drawing she did as a little 3 year old of an imaginary creature she called an "elevit". A creature full of love, hence all the little smiling faces. This was made with little tiny "threads" that we made in many colours, from polymer clay. This took two full days to make, so you won't be seeing anything like this is my shop !!